Does "cocktail ring" have perjoritive connotations?

[Imdanny]

If so why?

 

[chrono]

Because most of those I've seen are butt ugly.

 

[VRBeauty]

Welcome back, Danny!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Here is a post that diamondseeker made in this thread ([URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-is-a-cocktail-ring.87122/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-is-a-cocktail-ring.87122/[/URL]) about the origin of the term cocktail ring. The post doesn't really answer your question, but I thought you might find the info interesting. Then we go on for 7 pages discussing the whole thing (opinions, etc., so that will get closer to answering the question you're asking with this thread). And of course--being PS--any discussion of COCKTAIL RINGS had to include a deep conversation about COCKTAILS.

DiamondSeeker:

I have seen discussions on here referencing cocktail rings, and it made me curious as to whether we were being consistent or even accurate in our perceptions of what a cocktail ring really is. So I did a little research and came up with the following information regarding the history and definition as well as some links with examples of cocktail rings. The definition basically boils down to a large ring, often with a large center stone and pave diamond accents.

"The cocktail ring is meant to be a dramatic large ring, worn at cocktail parties. The cocktail ring was especially popular to wear during US prohibition at illegal cocktail parties. Such a ring flaunted not only the fact that one was drinking illegally, but also that one was doing it with style.

Popularity of the cocktail ring gained in the 1940s and 1950s, as cocktail parties continued to be popular events. Although cocktail parties are less common now, wearing a cocktail ring with huge diamonds or other large precious or semi-precious gems is still popular for formal dressy occasions, and especially for events like premieres of films, Broadway theater productions, or award shows like the Oscars or Emmys......

Even in the heyday of the cocktail ring, not all could afford to purchase huge diamonds. Other stones like amethysts, garnets, peridot, and blue topaz became popular substitutions since they were of far less expense. Today this trend continues, with many a cocktail ring having a large central stone of a less expensive gem. The larger the stone, the more easily one can spot flaws. It may be possible however to order a setting, and then purchase a loose stone of the quality and size one wants.

If one is purchasing a loose stone for a cocktail ring, one should consider a stone of at least three carats, and preferably five or more carats. The general rule is that the bigger the stone, the better. The cocktail ring is supposed to catch and dazzle the eye. It is also supposed to be opulent and overdone."

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-cocktail-ring.htm

 

[Haven]

I think it depends on how it's said.

If someone makes goggle-eyes at a friend's new engagement ring and says, "Wow, I would have thought that was a cocktail ring!" then it could be a pejorative. In this situation, the friend could be using "cocktail ring" as a euphemism for "gaudy" or "too big for e-ring".

On the other hand, some rings are cocktail rings, and they're meant to be cocktail rings. I see nothing with calling them what they are, and they can be beautiful if done well.

Do I often see large e-rings here on PS and think, "Wow, that looks more like a cocktail ring"? Yes. Especially those large stones with elaborate settings. Are they my style? No. Would I ever tell someone her e-ring looks like a cocktail ring? NO! But then again, if someone wants a huge, elaborate e-ring in the first place, maybe she wouldn't find it at all offensive if her ring was called a cocktail ring. It's all about perspective, I suppose.

 

[JewelFreak]

I love that description! I thought a cocktail ring was another name for an RHR, but guess not. Actually the term does make me think of the 40s or 50s & old ladies. Rich old ladies.

HI DANNY!!!!

Love,

Laurie

 

[VRBeauty]

What Haven said. And... as much as I like the historical perspective, I have seen many rings I'd consider "cocktail rings" that don't have a 3-5 ct center stone!

I've seen many cocktail rings I'd happily wear for evening out events or "just for fun." Unfortunately budget realities prevail!

Actually the term does make me think of the 40s or 50s & old ladies. Rich old ladies.

I guess the issue is that I'm getting to be an old lady, but somehow didn't attend to the "rich" part!

 

[LJL]

I think its just an "everything has its place" sort of thing. Certain things (some jewelry, some clothes, some cars) SAY certain things. A big ring with lots of stones that takes up a lot of finger space looks cocktail-y unless its got a distinct large center stone. Doesnt mean anything bad, just means it serves a certain purpose or connotes something in particular to the viewer.

 

[JewelFreak]

VRB, bet I'm closer to old lady-hood than you are! The "rich" part escaped me too, sure as I was when I was a young lady that it would be otherwise. Not a cocktail ring to my name, either.

--- Laurie

 

[Rhea]

Not at all! It means that you're lucky enough to be able to afford a large, glitzy ring that you can wear just at parties and swap out with your engagement ring or wear in addition to your engagement ring. How amazing to have that option!

 

[madelise]

I like big so there's no negativity in pointing out size.

However, 'cocktail ring' always makes me think of paste rings of the past,
or those $5-10 Forever 21 rings of the current.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I think it is the best name ever! Name after my own heart.....

I used to hear such rings also called "dinner rings", and I have no idea where that came from.

Were these terms created to indicated any ring (other than school ring) other than ones ER or wedding ring?

FWIW, when I think of cocktail ring, I think Oscar Heyman. Or Harry Winston. I'll take a dozen or so of those 1950 babies: swirls, and layers with pears and marquise. YES PLEASE! No negative connotation for me!

cheers--Sharon

 

[yssie]

I just don't usually like 'em, even antiques, though I can and do often admire them for the intricacy and details. So I guess when I think "cocktail ring" it often has pejorative connotations. There have been a couple of cocktail/cluster style rings on here that I've fallen hard for though - derbygal's with rose cuts [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/20th-anniversary-rose-cut-lots-of-pics.180671/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/20th-anniversary-rose-cut-lots-of-pics.180671/[/URL]


I also don't generally like pave, thin-line-of-glitter halos, precision-cut antique-style stones, I much prefer greens that err yellow rather than blue, I dislike neon pink, I have no objection to browns in yellow... so I'm pretty sure others don't put much stock in what I might think of with pejorative connotations

 

[jstarfireb]

I'm with Yssie. It's only a pejorative term to me because they're not my style at all. I find them gaudy in general. My grandmother left one to me that basically is the shape of a hershey kiss sitting on your finger, studded with all kinds of mismatched colored stones. I gave it to my parents because I couldn't wear it.

 

[MyDiamondSparkles]

I love a great statement piece, whether one calls it a dinner ring, coctail ring or gaudy. Plus those huge over the top rings are soooo in style right now! Ive been eyeing a few of them online and I'm just about ready to buy one. I have a feeling that both of the styles of rings I'm eyeing will make a HUGE comeback in terms of fashion and I'm gonna snap mine up now while the price tag reflects the "isn't that out of style?" price.

Edited to add: and if my hubs wants to buy me that big over-done ring, I'll gladly greedy him and the door wearing nothing but the ring and, of course, a coctail in hand...lol.

 

[minousbijoux]

Hiya Danny!! Nice to see you posting again!

Anyway, I have always associated "cocktail ring" with glamor and bigger than life kinda sparkle and style. Even though cocktail parties have raged back into fashion, they still conjure up the weird social get togethers that my parents would have(I guess as a kid I thought any social get together where grownups got dressed up was weird ). We kids would be expected to walk around with trays of hors d'oevres and be seen and not heard. So I think of cocktail rings as dressy affairs, definitely to be seen.

 

[iLander]

Cocktail is an old-fashioned 1960's phrase, so it implies the ring style is dated as well.

How have you been? Did you find a great new place to live?

We've been worried about you!

 

[AprilBaby]

Except here I haven't heard that term since the '60's. Why would anyone use that term now?

 

[KaeKae]

The rare times I've heard the term, I thought of a dressy RHR. Fancier, and maybe bigger than an every day ring.
I think of it as an old fashioned term, but it doesn't have any pejorative connotations.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, we did cover that topic pretty well in the old thread (amazing that you remembered that Dee Jay!). There are e-rings here that look like cocktail rings to me, and I generally think the person may be trying a little too hard to show off or something (which really yields negative attention rather than positive). There is tasteful big bling and then there is just too much pave for me!

 

[JulieN]

Broadly speaking, just as there are "day" clothes and "night" clothes, and everyone has a fair idea of what that means, there is a distinction between day and night jewelry. Engagement ring is properly worn any time, day or night. Cocktail/dinner rings (especially colored gemstones) would only be worn after six, when one has dressed for dinner, and would be considered inappropriately flashy to wear during the daytime, and one would surmise that the wearer was either ignorant or vain.

 

[TC1987]

Cocktail ring, dinner ring: Those terms suite me fine. I'm a single, and until the big deco halos and other vintage looks made a comeback, it was far too difficult to find diamond ring mountings that were not wedding jewelry. The right hand ring idea was nice, but a little anemic. I love the old '40s and '50s bold dinner rings. Or cocktail rings or whatever you want to call them, specifically because they are dress-up rings, and not something related to wedding or anniversary.

The cocktail rings that conjure up negative feelings in me are those '70s and '80s yellow gold things that had teeny little diamonds held down by so much metal that you had to hunt to find diamonds in there. I think they still sell those at K-Mart and Sears, maybe. lol I used to see women in bars at happy hour, and they'd all have one of those cheap rings on every finger. No thanks.

 

[Lula]

Broadly speaking, just as there are "day" clothes and "night" clothes, and everyone has a fair idea of what that means, there is a distinction between day and night jewelry. Engagement ring is properly worn any time, day or night. Cocktail/dinner rings (especially colored gemstones) would only be worn after six, when one has dressed for dinner, and would be considered inappropriately flashy to wear during the daytime, and one would surmise that the wearer was either ignorant or vain.

Most colored stones don't look that great at night, in my experience.

And, from my knowledge, in the "old days" -- pre-electric lights -- diamonds were worn at night, and only at night. It was considered vulgar to wear diamonds during the daytime. Certainly the cut of those old diamonds is the most attractive in low light and candle light.

Engagement rings were traditionally colored stones. Diamonds didn't arrive on the scene as engagement and wedding jewelry until the 20th Century (cue the DeBeers marketing theme song here).

From Whiteflash's site:http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/books/legend-of-rock-diamond-history.pdf

 

[chrono]

Lula,
Ahh, but that's because you've not seen fine quality coloured stones. Those look amazing all the time under all types of lighting.

TC,
I'm with you about the cheapo huge and gaudy "cocktail" rings where the diamonds are so microscopic and peppered that it ruined the true meaning and beauty of what a cocktail ring is to me.

 

[Imdanny]

Welcome back, Danny!

Thanks, VRB!

 

[Imdanny]

Here is a post that diamondseeker made in this thread ([URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-is-a-cocktail-ring.87122/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-is-a-cocktail-ring.87122/[/URL]) about the origin of the term cocktail ring. The post doesn't really answer your question, but I thought you might find the info interesting. Then we go on for 7 pages discussing the whole thing (opinions, etc., so that will get closer to answering the question you're asking with this thread). And of course--being PS--any discussion of COCKTAIL RINGS had to include a deep conversation about COCKTAILS.

DiamondSeeker:

I have seen discussions on here referencing cocktail rings, and it made me curious as to whether we were being consistent or even accurate in our perceptions of what a cocktail ring really is. So I did a little research and came up with the following information regarding the history and definition as well as some links with examples of cocktail rings. The definition basically boils down to a large ring, often with a large center stone and pave diamond accents.

"The cocktail ring is meant to be a dramatic large ring, worn at cocktail parties. The cocktail ring was especially popular to wear during US prohibition at illegal cocktail parties. Such a ring flaunted not only the fact that one was drinking illegally, but also that one was doing it with style.

Popularity of the cocktail ring gained in the 1940s and 1950s, as cocktail parties continued to be popular events. Although cocktail parties are less common now, wearing a cocktail ring with huge diamonds or other large precious or semi-precious gems is still popular for formal dressy occasions, and especially for events like premieres of films, Broadway theater productions, or award shows like the Oscars or Emmys......

Even in the heyday of the cocktail ring, not all could afford to purchase huge diamonds. Other stones like amethysts, garnets, peridot, and blue topaz became popular substitutions since they were of far less expense. Today this trend continues, with many a cocktail ring having a large central stone of a less expensive gem. The larger the stone, the more easily one can spot flaws. It may be possible however to order a setting, and then purchase a loose stone of the quality and size one wants.

If one is purchasing a loose stone for a cocktail ring, one should consider a stone of at least three carats, and preferably five or more carats. The general rule is that the bigger the stone, the better. The cocktail ring is supposed to catch and dazzle the eye. It is also supposed to be opulent and overdone."

http://www..com/what-is-a-cocktail-ring.htm

Thanks, Dee*Jay and DS!

 

[Lula]

Lula,
Ahh, but that's because you've not seen fine quality coloured stones. Those look amazing all the time under all types of lighting.

Oh, but indeed I have. That's why I used the word "most"

 

[JulieN]

Broadly speaking, just as there are "day" clothes and "night" clothes, and everyone has a fair idea of what that means, there is a distinction between day and night jewelry. Engagement ring is properly worn any time, day or night. Cocktail/dinner rings (especially colored gemstones) would only be worn after six, when one has dressed for dinner, and would be considered inappropriately flashy to wear during the daytime, and one would surmise that the wearer was either ignorant or vain.

Most colored stones don't look that great at night, in my experience.

And, from my knowledge, in the "old days" -- pre-electric lights -- diamonds were worn at night, and only at night. It was considered vulgar to wear diamonds during the daytime. Certainly the cut of those old diamonds is the most attractive in low light and candle light.

Engagement rings were traditionally colored stones. Diamonds didn't arrive on the scene as engagement and wedding jewelry until the 20th Century (cue the DeBeers marketing theme song here).

From Whiteflash's site:http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/books/legend-of-rock-diamond-history.pdf

Quite right that diamonds are inappropriate during the day! I find diamond watches to be a most curious anachronism.

 

[Bliss]

As a former owner of an e-ring that definitely looked like a cocktail ring, I definitely don't think the term is pejorative at all! One has to know that if you halo an above average size stone, it is going to look like a massive flying saucer of some sort. Of course, my halo was not delicate in the least; but even with a small halo, it would have looked like a cocktail ring anyway! I didn't ever entertain the notion that it was a style most would love, but I liked it while it lasted! Bring out the cocktails!

But in the end, who cares? I love cocktail rings, dinner rings and all rings of a certain era. The term sounds glamorous, even if most cocktail rings aren't my style. Who's to say engagement rings have to be a certain size to be acceptable? I wonder if a huge solitaire with the diameter of a cocktail ring would be called a cocktail ring or it's not just the size but the style? Yekutiel at IDJ has a ~4 carater with my name on it and in a simple Vatche U113, I'll bet someone will still call it a cocktail ring! LOLOLOL! I'll drink to that!

 

[Imdanny]

I love that description! I thought a cocktail ring was another name for an RHR, but guess not. Actually the term does make me think of the 40s or 50s & old ladies. Rich old ladies.

HI DANNY!!!!

Love,

Laurie

Laurie, hi there and I love you too!